Ready Or Not
by Pseudonym P
Summary: Three things: New Girl's pretty, Jinx needs to keep her mouth shut, and Wally needs to be absent in geometry more often. Oh, and Gar needs to ice his bruise. Guess that's four things. / BBRae in AU.
1. Chapter One

_Un-beta'd._

**x**

The cafeteria was abuzz with chatter that usually accompanied the lunch hour, with students gathered around tables. The pink-haired Linda Park was no different.

"New Girl seems cool," she commented, flicking a bit of yogurt on her boyfriend's face as she pointed the spoon in a certain direction. Wally West hastily wiped the pink stuff off of his face with a scowl.

"Jinx, babe. Kinda gross." Linda, or Jinx, shrugged and shoveled more yogurt into her mouth.

Kori Anders twirled a lock of her long red hair with her fingers. Attached firmly to her hip via his arm was her boyfriend, Dick Grayson. With his slick dark hair and shades that seemed to be permanently attached to his face, Dick looked exactly the way his name suggested.

To be fair to him, he totally wasn't. He was actually a pretty cool guy, it just so happened that he could afford your entire house. With your family in it. It wasn't his fault he was adopted by the biggest bajillionaire in the world.

"Cool? You mean desirable to eat lunch with, yes?" Oh, yeah—Kori's a foreign exchange student, which made Dick want her all the more. He had exotic tastes, and she had a great butt—you could already tell that they were perfect for each other.

"If she wants to, she can," he interjected, and a large man to the right of him shrugged.

"If she seems cool, why not?" Victor Stone was the school's top athlete, so hanging out with people wasn't really a problem since eighty percent of his time was dedicated to training with the other twenty was allocated for the rest of his life.

Garfield Logan followed stared in the former direction of Jinx's spoon, studying a girl with short black hair, pale skin and pretty eyes.

"B, stop staring," Vic commented, chuckling. "Didn't you just break up with Terra?"

"Four months ago," he barked, turning to glare at Vic. God, he wished Vic would stop bringing that up. The relationship didn't even last a year.

Wally perked up. "Shit, dude—that means you can totally, like, bone New Girl now."

"_What_?"

"Yeah," agreed Jinx, "The three-month rule is so totally over."

Gar groaned. "What the _fuck_ are you guys even saying—"

Vic gave a low whistle. "Yeah, man—Terra was bad for you. Maybe New Girl can help?"

"Okay, I'm pretty sure she has a name," Garfield snapped, and the rest of the table cackled (except Kori, who looked adorably clueless, as usual). The bell rang and almost immediately all heads from their table turned to look at New Girl, who also happened to turn her head and see all of them staring at her. After an awkward beat, she shuffled out of the cafeteria.

"She probably does," Vic said, grinning at Gar. "You should find it out."

**x**

"New Girl's cute," Wally commented in geometry, and Gar's eye twitched. This was getting old fast.

"Back off, West," he ground out. For the past three hours, his entire group of friends was hounding him to get with New Girl. Over 350 messages on his phone, 47 calls from various people, notes stuck on his locker and school things. They were coming in in torrents.

Wally chuckled. "Oh, yeah—your girl. Whoops."

A thick book came sailing towards his head once the bell rang. Garfield grinned down at the suffering Wally and turned in the direction of New Girl.

She left.

Gar's fingers twitched with the urge to beat up his track star friend, but he had a meet on Saturday. Also, like, he was actually more afraid of Jinx than of Wally.

**x**

They had gym together. And none of his friends were in sight (except Victor who was a ways away with his teammates—far from the classes).

Gar sighed. Thank God. He was starting to think his friends were really assholes.

"They're probably not." Gar, in his shock, hit his head to the wall behind him with a force that made him see stars. "Holy _shit_, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just—" He looked at his companion, and he recognized the pretty eyes from lunch earlier. Wow, that's a really nice shade of purple. Are those real? "Wow."

The brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"I think I have a concussion," he stated plainly, before fainting—probably sixty percent from the hit, and forty percent from, you know, embarrassment.

**x**

He awoke later in the school's infirmary with a headache and with the nurse doting on him.

Apparently, Rachel (New Girl's actual name) brought him to the clinic after that nasty hit—which bruised and is still tender, but thankfully no concussions—and left for class again, after staying for about half an hour.

And she lifted him all the way to the infirmary.

Well. Shit.

**x**

"HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE A PUSSY," Victor practically howled, disturbing the whole ice cream diner from their position at a booth in one end. Garfield could feel his head throb. He thanked every deity out there for Kori, who smacked about half of the living daylights out of Vic for laughing at the situation.

(Kori, also, is a really good fighter with, like, a bajillion black belts. Dick, obviously, started drooling the minute he heard of it because he's a fighter, too. They spar together and they swear it doesn't lead to sex, but five out of seven say they totally do.)

"Thank you," Gar muttered, and Kori looked at him with a sad smile.

"It is okay, friend Garfield. I am sure she does not doubt your masculinity."

Gar groaned and sank into his seat and Victor let out another howl of laughter. A smack came right after.

**x**

Wally was missing from geometry that day and Gar wanted to cry from joy.

New Girl—whoops, Rachel—was here today, so he scooted over a few seats to the front to kick out the person who sat in the desk chair next to her when she wasn't looking.

"Hey, Will, you—" she turned to him and her eyebrows shot up. "You're not Will."

Gar cleared his throat. "Yeah. I didn't wanna strain myself from looking at the board from too far back because of the… you know…" He gestured to his head and Rachel blinked in realization.

"Oh, yeah—you're the guy that hit his head on the wall during Phys. Ed.," she said, and Gar shrank in embarrassment. "Hey, you okay?" He looked at her, and her eyes were full of concern. "The nurse said you didn't have to push yourself too hard."

"Nah," he said, then swallowed, "Nah, I'm good. I can handle it."

"Sure?"

"Totally."

She gave him a small smile and reached out her hand. "Rachel."

He smiled and took it in his, shaking it firmly. "Garfield. Thanks for lifting me to the infirmary the other day, by the way," he said sheepishly.

She gave him a look of confusion. "Lift? Oh, I didn't lift you. This guy named Victor Stone did." Gar's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged, and he snapped to face the front of the room, face contorted as if he was ready to glare holes into the blackboard.

"That bitch is going to fucking get it from me, let me tell you."

**x**

"Fuck—I don't know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, you don't." Gar groaned and Rae shrugged. "You'll get it eventually, Gar."

Three days since Wally's absence in geometry and the two of them ended up as partners for their next requirement. Their partner assignment for geometry (he paired up with Rachel since he didn't want shit to do with Wally at the moment—apparently he skipped class to make out with Jinx behind the bleachers) was due in two days but they wanted to finish up early. Rachel, probably because she wanted to leave the library, and Garfield—well, probably so he could ask her out on a date.

"Stop being nice, Rae," he said, tone sour, "I'm an idiot with numbers."

"You are," she replied plainly, "But you'll get over it. We'll manage. Now, let's start again."

"Allah, kill me," he groaned. Rachel snorted.

"That's definitely easier to grant than asking for a brain," she retorted casually, and he looked up to glare at her. She shrugged, "You said stop being nice." With that, she promptly buried herself in her notes.

**x**

"Raven?" Garfield questioned over a burger and a tray full of fries. "Why Raven?" Their geometry homework was half-done (the only half left was Gar's, but he didn't understand squat so that'll take another two hours... or so).

The girl shrugged. "Black hair, dark eyes. I don't know—I don't come up with these things." The fast food joint was filled with the steady mumble of its patrons, and the two of them sat in a booth far from the entrance. Gar chewed on a fry thoughtfully and swallowed.

"But Rae's safe right?" She nodded.

"Currently the safest." After a pause, she said: "So… why Beast Boy?"

He laughed before taking a sip of his soda. They were probably gonna be here a while.

**x**

_Not done. Give me time._

_Read and review, _

_P_


	2. Chapter Two

_Second installment._

_Un-beta'd._

**x**

The place was mostly filled with the hum of students typing away on their laptops or reading from obnoxiously thick textbooks and small conversations here and there. The bell signaled Rachel Roth's arrival, and spotting blonde head over at the brown couch in the middle of the shop, she made a beeline for it.

The sudden thump and the deflating of the seat next to him on the couch made him turn to look. "Hello," Garfield Logan greeted, half-curious and half-elated, and Rae lifted a hand to stop him. Her other hand was over her eyes.

"Not a word," she said flatly—Gar somehow managed to get her to agree to go on a Girls Night Out with Kori and the rest since they've been hanging out for months now.

("It's about time you went on one," he had said, trying to convince her at the time. "I mean, get to know them—they're nice enough people. And like, Dick's rich, so he'll probably pay for everything." When she asked why and how Dick would pay for everything even though he wasn't there, he simply replied with a 'Kori' and that was the end of that.)

"We can cancel this study thing, you know." It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning at the Tower, the coffee place they were practically regulars at now. They agreed to meet here this morning since their geometry final would be in two and a half weeks and, well, Gar still sucked with numbers.

Rae shook her head and pressed the hand over her eyes to her mouth. She groaned and Gar gave her a sympathetic look.

"Black coffee?" Rae lifted her eyebrows in an attempt to keep her world from spinning. Gar bolted.

Returning with the steaming cup that was Rachel's order, she gratefully accepted it and took careful sips. "Want food?"

"I'm good." She paused and squeezed her eyes. "Oh, God, no—I'm not good. Not good at all." Gar swiftly plucked the cup from her pale fingers and gathered the books, papers and pencils that were littered along the coffee table with one hand.

"Come on," he coaxed, and Rae only looked at him with grateful eyes. He gave her a charming smile and her heart lurched forward. She ran to the restroom to vomit.

**x**

"I'm sorry."

"I don't mind."

"I'm really sorry. Shit, I'm wasting your Saturday morning."

"Rae, I swear, it's fine—"

"I am a horrible fucker of a friend, I'm so—"

"_Rae_," Gar said severely, giving her a pointed look from his seat on the armchair. She pressed her lips together from her position on his couch. They settled in his living room after they left the coffee shop. "Honestly, it's okay. The final is two weeks away, anyway. No big deal."

"I was supposed to help you _study_."

"I don't want to study."

"I'm wasting your time."

"Nah, not really."

"You turned into my babysitter."

"Wanna go out with me?"

"I—" Rae shot up from the couch and gave a strangled yelp. "Wha—"

When she rapidly turned green, Gar pointed her to a door under the stairs. "Puke in there." He winced when he heard her retch her guts out after she slammed the door.

Rachel wanted to run herself over. _You're in the house of a really cute and sweet guy and you're vomiting in his bathroom. Good job on trying to be attractive._

**x**

He suspects she stuck to Jinx last night.

"You stuck to Jinx last night," he voiced through the door. She groaned and he clicked in disapproval. "I told you to not do that."

"I thought you were kidding. I thought the real fun was with Jinx."

"The real fun _is_ with Jinx. You know, if you're Wally or a masochist." He paused. "I just said two of the same thing." His voice was muffled through the door.

"I can't tell when you're being sarcastic, Gar." Shit. She might as well just break the mirror with the way that she looks now. And— "_Fuck_."

Suddenly, his voice was too close to the door. "What happened?"

"Uh—I'm—Well, I kinda—can I borrow a shirt?"

"Oh—uh. Okay, gimme a sec."

A series of knocks resounded in the bathroom. "Got one. It might be kind of big, though."

"That's fine." The door opened just a crack and Rachel's arm shot out like lightning that it made Garfield jump. He hit the staircase above him and loud bump echoed throughout the house.

"FUCK." Seriously? He just got over the trauma from the last bruise he had when he hit his head during Phys. Ed!

The bathroom door shot open and he saw Rae wearing his—oh, wow, she looks good in that. He should let her keep it; it doesn't fit him anyway.

"Are you okay?" And then she's so close, suddenly, and his vision spins slightly. He's not sure if it's from hitting his head or like, the smell of her hai—

His hand instinctively shot up to cover his nose. He doesn't mean to offend her, but he necessarily enjoy the smell of vomit, even if it came from a pretty girl.

She turned red in the face and started speaking really fast and panicky and before he knew it she bolted out the door with promises of returning the shirt to him tomorrow. Or sometime this week. Or something.

Gar didn't even have the time to blink. "FUCK."

**x**

Victor Stone was literally crying from laughing.

"This is—why the fuck are you laughing?" Gar glared at the burly man, who was wiping tears of mirth away from his face. The football star couldn't even form a word. "This is so not something to laugh about."

They were at their usual ice cream diner, sans everyone else. Gar thought that a little man-to-man talk would do him some good.

If, you know, Vic actually talked to him instead of laughed.

"You useless piece of shit," Gar growled under his breath, and pulled out his phone. He dialed for Dick.

After a ring, the phone picked up. "He—" And died. He stared at his phone and it rang. Dick Grayson, it said on the caller ID. "Dick?"

"_Yo, B. What's up?"_

"Uh, are you free? Like, right now? We're at the diner."

"_Oh—huh? Yeah, sure. I'll just drop Kori off and I'll head on over there." _A pause._ "Is Vic with you? Is he—"_

Gar grunted. "Yeah, he's here and he's an asshole. Now can you get yours over here? ASAP?"

"_Roger that."_

"Wait. Why'd you hang up on me earlier?"

"_Oh, that? Bruce told me that I'm under spending on my phone bill. So I just basically call everyone who calls me. Anyway, I'll be there in five. See ya." _

Gar just stared at his phone. Under spending?

**x**

Victor Stone and Dick Grayson were literally crying from laughing.

Gar groaned.

"We—" Dick hiccupped, pushing his sunglasses up a bit so he could wipe his tears, "We—holy shit, Gar—let's call—_fuck_, call Wally!"

"NO," Gar said resolutely, face sour.

"Come on—do, dude, do it—come on, use my phone—"

"No. And fuck you, Mr. Under Spender. Seriously—who the _fuck_ under spends on a phone bill?"

**x**

Victor Stone, Dick Grayson and Wally West were literally crying from laughing.

Gar glared at his fuckers for friends. When they didn't show any signs of stopping, he grabbed Dick's phone. He dialed.

"_Rachel here."_

"Hey." A pause.

"_Dick?"_

"No, it's—uh, it's Gar." Something fell in the background, he was sure of it.

"_Gar! Oh, h—hey. Hey! What's up?"_

"Are you home?"

"_Uh—uh, no, I'm—well, just got home now."_ He heard a door close over the phone and then a muffle of curses. _"Son of a _bitch_—sorry. Yeah—yeah, I'm home."_

"Okay, I'm coming over."

"_What? Wait—um, okay. But, there's nothing here—"_

"I'm bringing food over. See you."

_"Oh—uh, sure. See you! Bye. Gar."_

With that, he slid the phone back in front of Dick (who was still laughing) and stood up to order two banana splits, to-go.

"Those idiots laughing in the corner are paying," was all he said to the store clerk before grabbing the bag of ice cream and leaving.

**x**

He knocked three times on the door of her apartment before she answered.

"Hey." Even though Rachel already brushed her teeth six times and rinsed with mouthwash for the same amount, she still said it softly. Gar grinned at her and she stepped aside to let him in.

"Ice cream?" She nodded and left to get them two bowls and two spoons.

They ate their banana splits in silence on her couch.

Rachel couldn't take it anymore. "Gar, about this morning… I'm really sorry—"

"I like you in my shirt," was all he said. She hadn't changed out of it.

"Oh. Um. Thanks."

"You can have it."

Rae almost choked in embarrassment. "Oh, God—Gar, no! No, I didn't vomit on it, I swear—"

Gar's eyes widened in panic. "No! No no no no no! That's not it, I swear, I just—well, I thought—" Garfield wanted to hit himself. "Can I start over?" he asked sheepishly, turning to her, and Rae gave a small shrug-slash-nod and he took that as a yes.

"Well. Rae. Uh. Rachel Roth. I like you in my shirt. Like, you look really nice in it. Actually, you look really nice in general. And, I like it. I like you. A lot." There was a moment of silence. "And that a lot was actually, uh—a while. I've liked you a lot for a while. Kind of a long while. Kind of a—months. I've liked you for months."

Rae was quiet.

"Yeah." Gar's ears turned red. "And, well, I was asking you out—and I really want to. Go out with you, I mean. That would be beyond cool. And I would really love you—" _Shit!_ He pushed the words from his lungs. "—TO. I MEANT TO. I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GO OUT WITH YOU."

She was quiet for a bit and Gar could feel the panic rise in his throat. "If you don't want to, it's—"

"Yes."

"I swear, I'm—Excuse me?"

"Yes. Gar. I would love to go out with you." Rae smiled at him and he nearly melted.

"Okay. Okay? Okay. Wow."

"Yeah." She gave a small laugh.

Gar beamed, absolutely ecstatic. "Is tonight good? We can watch a movie—"

"Now. Now's good. Like, right now's absolutely fine."

Gar blinked. "Oh—well, okay, sure—what are we gonna d—"

And her lips were on his, a sweet mix of ice cream and mint and her teeth kind of clashed with his but that was totally okay.

**x**

_Okay, I can pretty much hammer out one more chapter for this, but that's probably the last._

_Review, please?  
_

_P_


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